Executive Director Message

The Building Blocks of Converged Identity

The majority of the questions we often get from companies considering membership to the Secure Technology Alliance and U.S. Payments Forum are typically focused on what type of work we do and how we help foster collaboration and education of the technology industry on key issues. Generally, this is quickly followed up with more detailed questions around the structure of the entities and why they are paired together.

One of the key strengths we have as a group are the diverse perspectives from multiple stakeholders within the broader technology community. Not only do we have deep expertise in the payments industry, but also significant representation from members that support the access control, IoT and cybersecurity industries. It might seem that there is not much overlap on a daily basis between these market segments, but the base-level technology building blocks that enable these markets to function is relatively consistent.  All four of the segments listed above rely on the following technology building blocks in some shape or form: physical credentials, digital / mobile credentials, biometrics, and cryptography.  One could even potentially add artificial intelligence to the list as it continues to become a larger part of our daily lives.

It’s safe to assume that advances in any of the building blocks would benefit each of the major markets that we serve today.  Therein lies the true power of both of our organizations.  Undoubtedly, we have more strength and representation in some areas than others; but it’s also an opportunity as we look across the broader technology landscape and it begins to bring into focus some potential new ideas as we develop our strategic plan for both entities.

We’ve come a long way from the initial challenges in rolling out smart cards in the Unites States, but the future looks even more exciting.  I look forward to partnering with the leadership of both organizations to capture these opportunities.

Regards,
Jason

New Resource: Using Mobile Devices for Physical Access Control

The Secure Technology Alliance Access Control Council and Identity Council published a new white paper, Using Mobile Devices for Physical Access Control.

Mobile devices, especially smartphones, provide versatile credential hosting platforms that can be employed in a wide range of physical access control use cases. The features provided by these devices support secure credentials that, if implemented correctly, are resistant to cloning, forgery, and alteration. In addition, these devices can protect access to the most secure access control areas with high levels of assurance, due to the implementation of tamper-resistant hardware (e.g. secure elements), the use of strong, multifactor authentication, and the control and management of device configurations, third-party apps that can be installed on the device, and secure forms of communications.

Topics discussed in the white paper include:

• Market trends for using mobile devices for physical access
• Mobile device landscape
• Trust frameworks
• Use cases
• Mobile devices and relying party interfaces
• Mobile device support for multifactor authentication

Lars Suneborn, ID Technology Partners and Mark Dale, XTec, Inc. led the project. Council members who contributed to the white paper include: Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC); DualAuth; General Services Administration (GSA); IDEMIA; ID Technology Partners; Integrated Security Technologies, Inc.; IQ Devices: Intercede; JCI Software House; NextgenID; Thales; Transportation Security Administration (TSA); U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS); XTec, Inc.

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Stanley Convergent Security Solutions